Light Brown Apple Moth, Painted Apple Moth

Native to Australia, this polyphagous leafroller moth has so far hitchhiked to New Zealand, Hawaii, Great Britain, Ireland and has recently been spotted for the first time in the continental United States as of April 2007. Not a picky eater (!), it feeds on 200 plants of 120 plant genera in 50 families.

Some notable trees are apple, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, citrus, persimmon, cherry, almond, avocado, oak, willow, walnut, poplar, cottonwood, coast redwood, pine, and eucalyptus. Some common shrub and herbaceous hosts are grape, kiwifruit, strawberry, berries (blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, raspberry), corn, pepper, tomato, pumpkin, beans, cabbage, carrot, alfalfa, rose, camellia, jasmine, chrysanthemum, clover, and plantain.

This could devastate ... read moreCalifornia agriculture so it is imperative to nip its spread in the bud. Home, school, and community gardens in suspect areas in California (currently San Francisco, Contra Costa & Alameda counties) are asked not to distribute any of their produce (or flowers/plants that host). Be careful about any plant or cutting trading. If you think you have spotted signs of the moth, contact your county ag agent.

Methods of fighting the moth include pheromone lures, parasitic wasps (Trichogramma), and various insecticides. The most significant route of artificial spread is likely to be on plants sold through nurseries and destined for commercial, ornamental and garden plantings. Other methods of spread are on green waste, fruit and conveyances.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/lbam_profile.htm

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/-71E8091...

A manufacturer of LBAM pheromone lures: http://www.iscatech.com/exec/lures.htm